It’s Memorial Day Weekend in the US, and this year that means Hangover Part III mania!! For me, it began months ago when planning my tenth anniversary special issue of Vegas magazine. I knew that nothing else could equal the impact on Las Vegas that the Hangover franchise has had. So I was thrilled when Heather Graham agreed to do our cover and host our big party. The result: my favorite cover ever. I was even allowed to buy a special glittery font. (Our finance guy quipped, “I’ve never had to buy an editor diamonds before.”) That’s Vegas for you — we love our razzle dazzle! After the issue came out, Heather came out to Vegas for our huge soiree at the gorgeous Mandarin Oriental.

Now that my Hidden Vegas photo exhibit at the Sony Store at the Forum Shops is winding down, I wanted to share my series online. My assignment: use my new Sony NEX-5RK to capture a day in my life as editor-in-chief of Vegas magazine. We decided I’d go “day to night,” from putting together the lifestyle magazine all day in my suburban Nevada office to racing to parties and events at night. I found it a bit challenging to get behind the lens and make my job look fun — after all, a good chunk of my day is spent at my computer editing. I hope you like this inside peek! (From there, I showed bit about what it is like to get ready for the big events, and then some whirlwind nights on the Strip, but I’ll save that for the next post.) The catch: the folks at Sony really pushed their “hidden” agenda, to share our cities not only from the eyes of a local, but from a special point of view, showing no faces. Meanwhile, I was learning to use a brand-new camera.

I have always loved creative challenges! This time, I got to attack a technical one as well.

Any Michael Chiklis fans out there? He can count a huge one right here, especially after he recently came to my rescue. I mean, what’s an editor to do in order to follow up the biggest issue of her career — with the indomitable Celine Dion on the cover, and the ever-important “September issue” at that. And top it off, at Vegas magazine, October is our men’s issue, sometimes a challenge for a girly girl like me. Luckily, CBS came swooped in with a new show, aptly titled Vegas, starring the notorious “tough guy” actor Michael Chiklis. I couldn’t think of anyone better for my men’s issue.